Channel 5 News Move Refused By ITC

Channel 5’s proposal to move its early evening news bulletin to 5.30pm, in order to show Home and Away in the vacated 6pm slot, has been blocked by the Independent Television Commission (ITC).

In its original licensing remit, Channel 5 agreed to provide a minimum 20 minutes of news coverage and 10 minutes of current affairs during peak time, defined by the ITC as 6pm to 10:30pm. The channel proposed that if it was allowed to move its bulletin to just before the start of peak time, it would introduce hourly updates at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.

Speaking at MediaTel’s Media Question Time debate in February this year, Jim Hytner, director of marketing and communications at Channel 5 put forward the suggestion that while 6pm onwards may constitute peak time in London, it doesn’t reflect the rest of the country. He also expressed confidence that an earlier bulletin would get a larger audience (see C5 News Move Set To Test Regulatory Powers Again). John Billett, chairman of the Billett Consultancy, said at the same event, ” If Channel 5 news is allowed to move to 5.30pm you will probably get more people watching it as there will be no competition with any others news.”

A spokesperson from the ITC said today that the organisation had been “sympathetic” to the request of Channel 5, but pointed to the fact that even with the hourly bulletins, the move would mean only 15 minutes of news and no current affairs would be guaranteed in peak time. “The ITC remains unwilling to see the requirements to provide being reduced.” they concluded.

Channel 5: 020 7550 5555 www.channel5.co.uk ITC: 020 7255 3000 www.itc.org.uk

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